‘Coal auction merely to facilitate illegal transportation’
TURA: Claiming that illegal auctioning and transportation of coal is taking place in East Garo Hills District, a social organisation on Friday demanded immediate stoppage of transportation and auctioning of coal.
In his letter to the deputy commissioner of the district, the convenor of Development and Public Grievances Committee, Pillarson D Sangma, said that as per the instruction issued by the Mining and Geology Department 15 days’ time should be given before the auctioning of coal and the same should be notified in a local newspaper as well as posted in the concerned department’s website.
“The notification for tendering for auction was given in a local newspaper on November 27 and 28. Whereas, the date fixed for the auction is November 29. Why wasn’t the notification given earlier? This is nothing but gross corruption and needs to be corrected,” Sangma alleged.
Sangma also sought proof of raids conducted and seized coal along with copies of FIRs and court orders with all names and designations of officers who were involved in the process and warned of taking up the matter in court if the same was unsatisfactory.
Sangma also asked how extracted coal dumped at Rongding Awe, Rongsa Awe, Dangsa Awe, Garegittim, Arenggittim, Pattargittim and Jadigittim can be considered unclaimed when these places are located along NH-62.
“There are police outposts at jadigittim and Era Aning. Did they not know of the huge quantity of coal dumped there? This is nothing but manipulation in connivance with the district administration, police, officers of the concerned department and the coal mafia,” Sangma alleged.
Sangma also claimed there were anomalies in the loading of coal from different depots.
“Successful bidders in the so called public auction were Georgeman S Marak, Albinush R Marak and Zia Sangma. But it is found that coal is being loaded from different depots which are lying openly for the last two to three years. This means that the auction is merely to facilitate illegal transport of illegally extracted coal.
Moreover, royalty challans issued against auctioned coal in South Garo Hills are being sold at Shallang in West Khasi Hills which indicate that the auction is nothing but facilitation of illegal coal transport,” Sangma alleged.
Meanwhile, Sangma also demanded the immediate cancellation of the auctioning of coal lying at Nengkhra and Dobu saying the quantity would not exceed 3000 metric tonnes and that the same does not come under category of Para 186 of the SC order.